hero of Khartoum had been killed at his post.

* * *

Probably it will never be accurately known either how Khartoum fell
into the hands of the Mahdi, or how the gallant defender actually met
his fate. There have been many wild rumours regarding both events, but
it is probable that the most authentic account is that obtained by
Colonel Kitchener, who of all men was most likely to be well informed,
for not only was his experience of the Arabs great, but he had personal
opportunities of examining witnesses. He thinks that the ordinary food
supply at Khartoum was quite exhausted by the 1st January 1885, and
that on the 6th the General issued a proclamation, offering to any of
the inhabitants who liked free permission to leave the town and go to
the Mahdi. Great numbers availed themselves of this permission, and
Gordon wrote letters to the Mahdi, requesting him to protect and feed
these poor Moslem people, as he had for the last nine months. In this
way the population of the city was reduced to about 14,000 out of the
34,000 inhabitants who were there in September. About the 18th of
January, a sortie was made which resulted in desperate fighting, and a
large number of the Mahdi's troops and about 200 of Gordon's men were
killed. Colonel Kitchener says:--

"The state of the garrison was then desperate for want of food; all
the donkeys, dogs, cats, rats, &c., had been eaten; a small ration
of grain was issued daily to the troops, and a sort of bread was
made from pounded palm-tree fibre.

"On the 23rd General Gordon had a stormy interview with Farag Pasha
[the commander of his black troops]. An eye-witness states that it
was owing to Gordon having passed a fort on the White Nile which
was under Farag Pasha's charge, and found to be inadequately
protected. Gordon is said to have struck Farag Pasha on this
occasion. It seems probable to me that at this interview Farag
Pasha proposed to Gordon to surrender the town, and stated the
terms the Mahdi had offered, declaring in his opinion that they
should be accepted. Farag Pasha left the palace in a great rage,
refusing the repeated attempts of other officers to effect a
reconciliation between him and Gordon. On the following day (24th)
General Gordon held a council of the notables at the palace. The
question of the surrender of the town was then discussed, and
General